When the Space Force was established in 2019 it was intended to consolidate the existing military space forces across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. When the Space Force was established, the greatest resistance to transferring its space forces came from the Army. At the time of the Space Force's establishment in 2019, the Army had three major space operations units: the
1st Space Brigade,
100th Missile Defense Brigade, and the Army Satellite Operations Brigade. On 21 September 2021, the Army and Space Force announced that the Army's Satellite Operations Brigade would be transferring into the new service. While the Space Force, and Air Force before it, had operated the
Defense Satellite Communications System and
Wideband Global SATCOM satellites, the Army had traditionally operated the payloads. Payload operates were conducted by the 53d Signal Battalion since 2005 when it replaced the 1st Satellite Control Battalion, which conducted the mission from 1995 to 2005. In 2019, just prior to the Space Force's establishment, the Army established Task Force Eagle, reassigning the 53d Signal Battalion from the 1st Space Brigade and moving elements from Space and Missile Defense Command's G-6 headquarters to consolidate Army
satellite communications. Task Force Eagle was renamed the Army Satellite Operations Brigade in 2019. On 15 August 2022, the Army's satellite communications mission was officially transferred to the Space Force and assumed by
Space Delta 8 and the
53rd Space Operations Squadron, which took its number to honor the 53rd Signal Battalion. The debate over the transfer of
missile warning was extremely contentious, leading to debates on the
Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Space Force, and Air Force Space Command before it, had responsibility for global and national missile warning, while the Army had a small element for regional missile warning. In January 2023, the Space Force announced that the Army agreed to transfer the JTAGS mission to
Space Delta 4, fully assuming the mission on 1 October 2023 and activating the
5th Space Warning Squadron. from
Vandenberg Space Force Base. There are still calls for the Army to follow the Navy in transferring all of its space forces to the Space Force.
The Heritage Foundation has called for the wholesale transfer of Army Space and Missile Defense Command to the Space Force. Former Air Force space officers have called to move this mission to the Space Force and the
Center for Strategic and International Studies included moving missile defense into the Space Force. The Army also continues to maintain a cadre of Functional Area 40 space operations officers, although over 85% indicated they would transfer to the Space Force if able. The Army is also maintaining a downsized
1st Space Brigade, however the
RAND Corporation has conducted a study calling for the transfer of the Army's space control forces to the Space Force. The Army has attempted to carve out a role in space operations, with its 2024 Army Space Vision outlining the service's space mission as integrating space capabilities and interdicting adversary space capabilities, including counter-satellite communications, counter-surveillance and reconnaissance, and navigation warfare in support of land operations. Responsibility for conducting these operations rest with Army Multi-Domain Task Forces and a new space formation called the Theater Strike Effects Group. However, the Army is no longer looking to develop and deploy its own constellations of satellites. In January 2026, the Army announced a new
military occupational specialty (MOS) 40D Tactical Space Operations Specialist for soldiers in the grade of E-4 through E-9 in the regular army, reserves and National Guard. Soldiers wanting to enter the MOS, must apply and then go to training at
U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense School in Colorado. The Army sees an initial need for 1,000 soldiers in this MOS. This MOS would become the foundation of a proposed Space Operations Branch. ==Structure==